Take The Long Way Home: Lotso's Continuing Story
by Cody The Maverick
Summary: He thought his story was over. But in reality...it was only halfway done.
1. Chapter 1

**Take The Long Way Home**

**Lotso's Continuing Story**

Dark was the night, and I lay awake. Well, in all honesty, it would be hard for you to get to sleep too, if you were strapped to the grill of a garbage truck. I have no idea how much time passed when I was on that thing. A week. A month. A year. But through it all, I managed to keep my body intact. The other stuffed animals that were on with me weren't so lucky. One by one, the elements poked and picked at them, and in due time, they vanished. Leaving only me to face the world. Alone. And on this night, the truck lay sleeping in the junkyard. I was warmed by a blanket of a billion stars; my only sign of the hope that lay within me, somewhere, deep in my stuffing. That night, my past reflected before me like the reflection on a shiny new AA battery. Everything I had become, the monster that my heart had hardened into. I was asking a million questions to my past self.

_"Was it my mere presence that made Sunnyside the so-called prison that it was?"_

_"Was I protecting my fellow toys to the point that they would stay safe, or was I protecting the toys to the point that they could never do anything?_

_"How did I become so corrupt? Was this the real me, or was it just a shell of a soul that is more appealing?"_

_**"Why. Didn't. I. Push. That. BUTTON!"**_

My pink furry body quivered at the thought of it. The animal I had become all this time was now just too overpowering to ignore.

_**"WHERE'S YOUR BOY NOW, SHERIFF?"**_

I didn't want to think about it. And yet, my own voice echoed within the walls of my fur. I could change. It would be hard, very hard, but nothing is impossible. It's not like I _wanted_ to change anyway. What would everyone back at Sunnyside think? Would they forgive me, or would they just throw me out? Abandon me? Replace me?

My heart skipped a beat at the thought of being replaced. Again. Daisy. Daisy. Daisy was bad enough. I still would never understand why she only _thought _I was special. Kids would never think we were their real friends because they have real _human_ friends themselves. Us toys are just for when they're not around. Daisy never would have thought that I was a replacement for a _real _human friend.

I also realized that night that there were others like me. Beforehand I had only thought about me, and how I was the only one of me there was. Unique. Special. When I saw that _other me_ in her arms that night, it hit me. Hard. I _was_ just a bunch of pink and white fur, enhanced with the smell of strawberries. There were millions of "me." Like stars. That infamous night, something _did _snap inside of me. I knew I wasn't just another star. But sadly, I took my role of being "The brightest star" a bit _too_ seriously. I knew I was abandoned, a piece of junk, and in that case I would have just gone and thrown myself away, but I knew at the time that I had something to prove.

Turns out I had nothing to prove at all. I was just turned into a monster.

After all this complentating, my eyes became heavy, and I finaly fell asleep. I thought I would wake up to another day of mud, bugs, and all of nature's dirty things being thrown at my face. And I was right.

But on that day, everything changed.


	2. Chapter 2

As I woke up that fateful morning, a rooster crowed in my head. My eyes were heavy, but my ears were wide open. I thought we would set out, just like every other day, but the truck stayed...and stayed...and stayed...until mid-afternoon. Around that time, I could hear the truckers, talking about something...

_"Yeah, the compactor on the back is broken, looks like we're gonna' have to go to the big repair shop."_

_"The big one? But that's, like, a long drive away! Do you think we can handle it?"_

_"Don't worry, we'll make it..."_

"A long drive away?" Oh great. Another day of getting torn apart by the wind. Only this time it's a whole lot longer than the normal routine. As we set out onto the long and winding roads, I kept my mouth shut, just like the others once told me. It was a long, painful, and agonizing drive. Soon we had driven into the twilight hours, with the orange sun setting behind us.

It may have been just me, but it felt like we were speeding up. The wind in my fur became faster. I saw the bright white lights of the other cars on my left side go past me, one by one. But then, one set of lights came closer...

closer...

closer...

...much...too...close...

There was a huge **SMACK **in the left side,then all I could see was light. Blinding white light. The truck started winding out of control, then another car hit us from behind, on the right side. The pressure started squezing the grill outward into a "V" shape, with me at the tip. The restraints holding me down started to bend with the grill...then, all at once,...

...they snapped. I was thrown into the air by the sheer force, and landed harshly on the paved road. I stared down in disbelief, then looked back at the truck. The two cars had started to set the truck on fire. As I glanced up at the burning flames, eating away at my former "home," I looked down at myself...

...I. was. free.

I could do what I want. I could go back to Sunnyside. But what would they think of me now, if I tried to "reclaim" my "kingdom?" Maybe things were better now that I was gone. Maybe things were worse...

Either way, I started heading back down the road. Little did I know that I was about to have my **own **"Playdate with Destiny."


	3. Chapter 3

Oh, that road. I should have called it "The road of my past," "The road of fate," or something like that. Evening turned into nighttime, and I felt gentle raindrops penatrate my plush fur. There were almost no cars on the path, which, of course, was great, because I wouldn't have to freeze every time one passed by.

I marched down the side of that road for who knows how long, with the light of the moon my only guide. After a while I knew I needed to rest, but soon the road, and the places surrounding it, started to smell familliar...

...I crossed the street and looked around. There was a field of grass, with occasional trees scattered throughout. The flowers had closed up for the night...

For a moment, I could see her. _Her. _In my remaining visions of her, this place was the backround...

...I knew this place.

I was in the exact same park where I was abandoned by my former owner, Daisy.

I started to get nervous. No, I didn't get nervous, I started to **panic.** I don't want to get left behind or left out again, I thought. First Daisy, then the monster I became at Sunnyside, and now thi...

I didn't have time to finish the statement in my head. A car pulled over. I turned my head but it was too late. A young boy came **screaming **out of the back seat. I froze, and he started waving his arms and head in a random fashion.

According to me, the boy looked older, as in about 7 or 8. But he sure didn't acthis age. He had dark black hair that was just a little bit messy. His eyes were brown, with just a hint of dark orange, just like mine. Those eyes were enlarged by a pair of large glasses. The T-shirt he was wearing must have been handmade; It read, "I Love Crayons."

The boy's mother came out as well, and tried to calm him down.

"Ryan, don't worry. We're just stopping here for a quick rest before we head home. I know that trip was long, but we'll be home before you know it!"

"But I wanna get home **NOW!**" Ryan replied in a very loud tone of voice, "You never said anything about stopping! You just said that we're going home!"

His face was covered in tears, tears that were almost disguised by the light rain that was starting to subside.

The boy's mother didn't give up. "Ryan, just relax! Calm yourself down!"

"Ok," he bluntly agreed. He sat on the ground and started to rock himself. That's right, rock. As he went back and forth like the rocking chair that was back at Sunnyside, so long ago, he started naming off crayon colors.

"Cerulean, Pink carnation, indigo..."

I was actualy quite intrested in his "crayon naming." But as I watched him, I felt myself being **picked up.** By the mother.

"Hey, how did you get out here?"

She tried showing me to Ryan, but he just kept on rocking. She then told him it was time to go, and he hopped into the car with delight. His mother put me in the front passenger seat, started the car, and...

...off we went.

I, Lots O' Huggin' Bear, had another owner. It was the **last **thing I wanted. But I guess it wasn't **that **bad, I mean, he didn't seem very intrested in me anyway.

But for some odd reason, right as we started to head out, the rain stopped, and the first light of dawn broke the horzion.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't long before we reached their home. We were still in the Tri-County area, but somehow, I could have swore that we passed a daycare center on the way there.

Ryan was still worked up about the rest stop, but when his mother offered to make him his favorite breakfast, he got so loud and exicted that I thought my ears were going to fall off. His mother cradled me in her arms as she led her son inside. Aparently, she knew that I wasn't going to be played with right away, so she placed me inside Ryan's bedroom while Ryan himself gorged on bacon and bagels.

The first thing I noticed about the room were the crayons. The crayons. They were everywhere. But not "everywhere" as in scattered about the floor. "Everywhere" as in they were all sorted. Each and every color had its own little plastic box. There were checklist posters of all the colors on the wall, as well as crayon themed furinture. I was even standing on a crayon-themed sheet set.

I was not in Sunnyside anymore.

Of course, I had many mixed feelings. Okay, so being strapped to the truck did make me rethink quite a few things, but at this point I still thought that humans were idiots, and that every plaything's destiny was to just be thrown out. I did not want to get played with. Because you all know what happened to me the last time I got played with by Dais...gosh, I don't even want to mention the name! Well, "you-know-who." And yet, I didn't want to collect dust in some random attic, only to be given away or donated...

I had to escape. I was thinking about how to do it when I heard the closet door open behind me...

"You new here? Geez, it's not every day we get a new guy!"

The voice was a fellow stuffed animal like myself. He looked like some kind of cougar, or maybe a wildcat. His fur was light gray and he was wearing a red and white coat, don't ask me why, I don't know either.

"What do you mean?" I responded. "Is there no one else here?"

"Unless you count the crayons." He said with a chuckle. "By the way, name's Wiley. Ryan's mom got me in hopes of getting him intrested in what the other kids liked, but no luck."

"I'm Lots O' Huggin' Bear, but just call me Lotso. I used to be quite the hugger, but...just...don't ask." I was curious about the boy's unusual intrest. "Why does he like crayons so much?"

"Well," Wiley began, "They comfort him, all the colors and such, and when he draws with them, he can unleash his imagination. With Ryan, "Normal" toys just won't draw his attention. It's both an honor and a shame to be a toy to a child like him."

Confusion swept my mind. "How do you mean?"

"You see, Lotso, Ryan has autism."

My eyes became wider than headlights and I got clumps in my stuffing. I gluped, "Is that bad?"

"It all depends on how you look at it." Wiley explained. "If you become a part of his "special intrest," then he'll never put you down, and you're likely to fall apart, have your fur ruffled, or even get lost within the time span of about a year or two. But if he's not intrested in you, count on spending the rest of your days inside the closet here, until you're donated by his mom."

I wanted to take a third option. "Can't I just escape?"

"You can try, but don't count on it. If Ryan finds out you're gone, he will not give up until he's found you. People like him look everywhere and think of everything."

Two dangerous paths. Me in the middle. No way out. In the past, I turned Sunnyside into a prison. Now I knew what it felt like to be trapped inside one.


	5. Chapter 5

It was just as I suspected. Ryan just wasn't intrested in me. The entire day I just sat on his bed while he drew with his precious crayons at his desk all day long.

But then came the next day.

Mother and son were suiting up to go somewhere. Ryan stuffed a ton of crayons in his backpack, while his mom recomended that he take me with him.

"But wouldn't all the others want to see your new bear?"

A firm "No." was how he responded. I gently sighed, hoping that I could get away from this place while they were away, but the parent scooped me up anyway and secretly slipped me into her son's backpack.

Oh joy.

We were only in the car about a minute when we got out and walked into a small building. Ryan was holding the backpack against his torso, and I could see outside through the translucent mesh.

"Maybe this isn't so bad," I thought aloud. "I mean, look, the door has a rainbow on it! How could a place with a rainbow be so ba...

Wait a second...a rainbow? On the door?

Oh no.

Not again.

I cringed as Ryan set his backpack filled me and his crayons down on a table in a room with blue-colored walls.

I heard an adult's voice a few seconds after. "RYAN! What did we tell you about leaving your backpack on the play table?"

I heard a small sigh. "To hang it up on the hooks with everyone else's." Replied Ryan, not making eye contact.

He unzipped the bag to get his crayons out, but didn't zip it back. Then he placed the bag, with me still inside, mind you, on a hook. However, he was unaware of the sign above it:

"HOOK IS LOOSE AND NEEDS TO BE FIXED. DO NOT USE."

It was playtime in the Butterfly Room, and as I sat in the backpack, memories came rushing back. Of the gentle touch of countless children as they hugged me endlessly...but I was smart. I knew that the love between me and humans was fake. I knew that...

My thought was put to a halt by my glance at Ryan. All the other kids were sitting in a circle, playing in a group. But Ryan was at the coloring table in the corner of the room, drawing pictures with crayons, just like the day before.

Wiley was right. He was a very strange child. But a child nonetheless.

Before I knew it, it was recess time. Our signal that we could come alive. Of course, I didn't want to get out of this bag, let alone be discovered by the other toys. If they found out I was here, they would...

*CRASH*

Before I could finish thinking, the hook that the pack was on gave way. I spilled right out onto the floor, landing flat on my huge purple nose.

I looked up.

Everyone was gathered around. Tens of hundreds of pairs of eyes met mine. Barbie, Ken, and Big Baby were standing in front. The Jack-in-the-Box sprang out...

"NEW TOY!...NEW TOY!" His happiness was ruined when he noticed who I was.

Everyone gasped...then started backing away.

Ken was quite suprised. "He's returned!"

I stood up and started walking, hoping to explain to them that I could be good if they gave me some time...but I stepped on a piece of craft felt. And if there's one thing you have to know about me besides the fact that I'm a hugger, it's that my feet are HIGHLY ticklish. I burst out in a fit of giddy laughter. Everyone was confused, but it was all for the better, because they started to believe that I wasn't the Lots o' Huggin' Bear that they knew, that I was a completly different one. A friendlier one. If I was ever going to show my face here again, I had to go this route. So I took advantage of this moment.

"Are you new here?" Ken asked.

"Yes, what is this place?" I replied, still slightly laughing.

"Well, you're at Sunnyside Daycare! It's a place where all toys can be cool and groovy!"

"Thanks." I said. "I was brought here by my kid, Ryan."

"You belong to Ryan! Well, his mother works here, and knowing Ryan, you just might be brought here everyday! Come on, we'll show you around!"

I acted clueless about everything, it being the only way I could pass myself off as another Lotso. But to be honest, Sunnyside did feel like a better place now that Barbie and Ken were in charge. It felt odd walking around without my cane, (what happened to it anyway?) but still, I grinned to myself.

I could learn to like it here.


	6. Chapter 6

Time changes everything. And I could tell that I had changed (even if it was just a tiny bit) since the last time I was at Sunnyside. I had once changed Sunnyside, but now, Sunnyside was changing me.

In the days and weeks that followed, Ryan kept taking me to and from the daycare every day. Well, okay, his mom kept sneaking me in the backpack in hopes that he would play with me, but you get the point. Ryan on his own never touched me, but his mother often took me out and set me next to Ryan when he was coloring. Neither of us minded each other, but I loved watching Ryan draw with his crayons, creating magical items, animals, and scenes. A wild jungle one day, a king's castle the next, his drawings transported me into another world. And even though he never picked me up and played with me in real life, I felt as if we were playing together in his imaginary crayon doodles.

But Ryan wasn't the only one I had fun with. I would hang out with all the other toys during recess, as they introduced me to their "cool and groovy" games. I was doing a good job at being another Lotso, if I do say so myself.

I was aproched by a group of little dolls one day who promptly asked me if I wanted to play in the box with them.

'The box?' I thought. I was reminded of the countless toys I had sent to that prison every night when I was the leader.

"Wait...are we being punished?" I said without thinking.

The little dolls laughed. "No silly, here, we'll show you." And they led me out to that sandbox, which had been transformed into what looked like a perfect beach. It was quite...awesome.

"Come on!" They all said to me as they led me in. I was kinda ticked off about having sand in my fur, but as long as I was having fun, I guess it was ok.

As I settled in, the smallest doll came up to me and tugged on my paw.

"You know...you're kinda wierd...but I still like you."

I was speechless, but I didn't show it. I just put my pink paw around her in an embrace, showing that I liked, not just her, but everyone.


	7. Chapter 7

So this routine of being taken to Sunnyside continued, day after day.

Until one Thursday morning, Ryan's mother decided to take a day off from working at the daycare, and take Ryan and me to her uncle's house. I still hid in the backpack the entire drive there, but Ryan stared out the window, speechless. I loved how he could soak the entire world in, and everyone else wouldn't even realize it.

Before I knew it, we were there. The mother greeted her Uncle Mike with a nice big hug. He offered to hug Ryan as well, but he firmly refused. Mike noticed me in the backpack and was quite thrilled.

"Wow Ryan! You got a real Lots O' Huggin' Bear? That's great! Do you want to show him around mine?" Mike said with a smile.

'"Show him around mine?"' I thought, 'Wait...he has more?' But before I could think another thought, I was brought downstairs in the basement. There, right before my eyes, were tens, no, maybe even hundreds of Lots O' Huggin' Bears. Some still in the box, some with no box in sight, all looking purely happy.

Then Mike called Ryan upstairs for dinner, leaving me lying on the cold floor. As soon as he was out of sight, I got up and looked around. There were just...so many of...me! It was like being in a cloning factory...but then I remembered what happened the last time I was replaced with another Lotso...

"Welcome new guy!"

I turned around and saw another Lotso, as he placed a furry paw on my body.

"Don't worry, Mike here is a collector of Lotsos! He never plays with us, but that's fine, because we can play with each other!

And with that, all the others came down, some out of their boxes, to meet me. I was nervous, for I had never spoken to another Lotso before, but aparently I didn't need to, because they spoke for me!

"Wanna join the party?" another one asked.

"Party?" I said in disbelief, "Well, I don't know...I...It's just that...I really don't think I belong here..."

"Oh come on!" yet another chimed in, "Everyone belongs here!" And just as he finished his statement, I was pushed into the conga line. My nervous feelings began to melt away as I really started to have fun! As I looked around, I saw many others...dancing...singing...playing...and I was reminded of my own happy days that I spent with Daisy, so long ago...

Dressing up and dancing in "recitals..."

Singing songs from her favorite movies...

Playing on the park swingset...

And then I remembered my fondest memory with her...Laying on the front lawn on a hot summer night, looking up at the stars, and wondering what just might be out there.

And as the party calmed down, I fell asleep, with the thought still clear in my mind.

And I was glad I did, because the dream I had is one that I'll never forget.


	8. Chapter 8

"LOTSO! LOTSO! HELP ME!"

I was back at the dump, overlooking the conveyor belt and the firepit that it led to. The button was just a short walking distance away, right in front of me.

I glanced downwards, and discovered that my precious Daisy was hanging on the edge of the belt, just about to be pushed into the red glow of doom.

"Daisy!" I cried out. But as I ran to push the button, my foot was lassoed by a figure in the shadows.

"You're going to jail." It said. He was still hidden, but by the voice, I could tell it was that sheriff.

"For what?" I quickly asked him.

Right there and then, I heard a scream as Daisy lost her grip and fell into the pit.

"Nooooooo...!" I uttered as I hung my head.

"For what you just did to that girl." He answered.

"But I could have saved her!"

"Yeah, sure. And you could have saved ME!"

And with that, I was kicked right onto the moving belt.

"Where's your girl now, Mr. Bear!" he shouted as he stalked into the darkness.

The heat scorched my fur as I fell into the firepit..."NOOOOOOOOOOO..."

"...OOOOOOOOO" I screamed as I woke up. After taking a few short breaths, I realized that I was okay. Okay, but still very drowsy, and suprised that I didn't wake anyone else up. As I tried to get back to sleep, I started visualizing memories, memories of those I had once loved but now neglected because of my (at the time) cruel nature...

"Lotso...Lotso, don't be afraid, it's me."

"What?" I heard a voice...a familiar voice. I turned my head, to find that the voice belonged to none other than my old friend Chuckles. And he was standing right there before my eyes.

"Why are you here?"

"To tell you that you have a destiny. And that you must accept it."

"Destiny?" I replied, confused. How could someone like me possibly have a "magical destiny?"

"Something will happen. Something will happen in the near future that will cause you to reveal your trueself to the rest of Sunnyside. And your friendship with Ryan will grow stronger, due to either a good or bad event." He sounded like he was imitating a fortune teller.

"Wait," I answered. "How do you know this?"

"That dosen't matter now. What matters is that even though you have done bad things and made mistakes in the past, you must learn that you can't change them. However, although you can't change them, you can use them to change the future. If you accept yourself and your fate, you'll realize that you can change for the better...as long as you're willing to accept the past.

As I started to comprehend his description of "my destiny," Chuckles's image slowly faded away...

"You do have a purpose, Lotso. In time you'll understand."

And he vanished.

I gently woke up soon afterwards. But I wasn't awake for long because later that night, Ryan came back down to take me home.

We drove all night as I fell into another, (this time, dreamless) sleep.

But as it turned out...my destiny would take effect...the very next day.


	9. Chapter 9

I returned to Sunnyside, as usual, the next day. It was a Friday morning. But on this particular morning, all the students at the daycare, Ryan included, were getting out early due to the fact that the teachers were holding a pool party.

But I didn't know that.

I was sitting in my normal spot, next to Ryan at the drawing table, within the Butterfly room. It was early in the day, just before lunchtime. The children were to leave at noon.

When the announcement was made for them to leave, all the kids came storming out of the front doors, awating the promises of food, fun, and a great big pool. But Ryan was still deep in thought with his crayons and his drawing. He stayed so long that his mother had to come in and bring him outside.

"But I don't want to go swimming!" Ryan protested. "I wanna draw with my crayons!"

"You can draw at the pool, honey." His mother reminded him. "Now let's go, or we're gonna be late!" She quickly stuffed his endless amounts of crayons into his backpack and rushed him out the door, as he cried in agony. You could tell he REALLY dosen't like changes.

But then...as they left, I realized something...

I was still at Sunnyside. I was left here. I knew Ryan would be back for me on Monday, but the thought of being left behind, (again) even for a weekend, made me extremely nervous. If toys could sweat, my fur would be soaked.

As every toy came to life and started "setting up town," I realized that maybe this was for the better. I mean, I could hang out with other toys, like I did everyday at recess, for two whole days!

So I got off the table and started looking around. Everyone waved "hello" to me as I walked down the aisle of spare parts, all organised in cubbies. But as I walked, I realized that I haven't looked in these boxes since Barbie and Ken took over. Maybe they had new stuff, stuf that I could use to my advantage, or maybe even crayons! So I decided to look in a blue bucket that had what looked like wooden building blocks.

Little did I know I was making a big mistake.

As I continued to look, I spotted what looked like a little toy mallet. It was colored red and tan...but why did it look so...

Yep, you guessed it. It was my old cane.

You know, I was already worked up about being abandoned for the weekend, but when I found my cane, I just so happened to "blow my top."

Without thinking, I started talking to myself. "My cane! I can't believe it's still here! I thought I lost it in the trash! Now let me try this thing out..."

I guess I was a bit too loud. All eyes were on me.

Ken was furious. "My cane?" he mocked. "Ugh! I should have known all along. You ARE the "real" Lotso, aren't you?"

"Wait! I can explain! I didn't mean it..."

"Oh yeah, would any other Lotso know about that "all-important" cane?"

"I..."

"Why did you lie to us?" Barbie questioned.

"I just wanted to get you guys to like me..."

"Well," Ken said, "After what you did to us before, would we ever like you?"

"You saw me!" I yelled with a break in my voice, "I HAVE changed! Just give me a chance..."

But the other toys wouldn't give me that chance. All too quickly, they grabbed me by the arms and led me out by the playground. I struggled to get free as they opened the garbage chute and shoved me (and my cane) down.

I heard Ken's voice as I hit the dumpster: "AND DON'T EVER COME BACK AGAIN!"

'Well,' I thought, 'The garbage truck Isn't coming until tomorrow. I guess I can wait.'

I sat there on those black bags the rest of the day, cradling my cane in my paws. I was just "banished" from a place that I once "ruled." Boy, how things change. I remembered when I stood on top of this dumpster, confronting those escape-ers, so long ago. I could still hear my voice as I smashed the heart tag...

"SHE DON'T LOVE YOU NO MORE!"

Man, that cowgirl was right. I WAS a liar and a bully. But I could change. I HAVE changed. But if I could only prove that to my fellow toys...

And as if to match my mood, I heard thunder and felt rain just as the sun was setting.

The rain. It felt all too much like when I was first left behind...seeing Daisy with that "other" Lotso...

As the water fell and filled the dumpster, puddles formed at my feet. It wasn't long before I could see my face reflected in the liquid mirror.

'They were right.' I thought as I studied my reflection. 'I'm not worth it.'

I destroyed the pool with a heavy swipe of my paw, then proceded to bury my head in my arms. The thunder of the storm became the perfect soundtrack to my situation.

I was on the verge of total breakdown when I remembered...Ryan. Where was he? And what would he do when he came back on Monday and discovered that I wasn't there?

'I'll go back to his house.' I decided. 'Tomorow morning, I'm gonna climb out of here and show up at his window. He'll be delighted to see me.'


	10. Chapter 10

After a few attempts, I made my way out of the dumpster just as the sun began to rise. I quickly ran back to Ryan's house, hoping to see him there, in his room, drawing at his desk like he always is on Saturday mornings. I climbed up into his bedroom window...

...but Ryan wasn't there. His mother wasn't home either.

I was confused. 'But they're always home on Saturday!' I thought. 'Are they out shopping? No, they go shopping on Sunday!'

I pulled myself up and into the room, and as I climbed onto Ryan's bed, I saw my old friend Wiley emerge from the closet.

"You looking for Ryan?"

I nodded.

"Well, you won't find him here for a while."

I gulped. "Where...where is he?"

"Ryan's in the hospital." Wiley said, with a grave tone in his voice. "From what I heard, it was that pool party. He was so worked up about not being able to color, that he threw a tantrum and, by mistake, fell in the pool, smacking his head on the ground. He's getting treatment now, but he's losing a lot of blood."

I gasped. "My gosh, that's terrible!"

"Yes. I knew his autism would get to him at some point or another."

I was about to agree with him, when I heard footsteps in the hall. We both froze, as another woman, (I'm pretty sure she was one of Ryan's mother's friends) came in and gathered even more crayons in a bag. But as fate would have it, she saw me lying on the bed, and decided that Ryan would like my company. So she picked me up and put me in the bag as well.

As we walked out of the bedroom doorway, I saw Wiley wink at me.

"Good luck." he wispered.

Before I knew it, I was inside Ryan's hospital room. He was on life support, and had a bed table where he could continue to draw. Ryan's mom put me next to her son on the bed, so I could keep him company. Hours passed, and he focused on his drawings even though his life was on the line.

Soon, some of the kids from Sunnyside brought their favorite toys from the daycare to remind him of his happy days drawing in the Butterfly room. But as the toys were placed on the windowsill, I realised that they were the same ones that had banished me the day before. Barbie, Ken, and all the others were now observing me and this child. I had my cane with me, but even if I didn't, they would still know that I was the real Lotso.

As the hours and days passed, I cuddled up to Ryan whenever he slept, and watched him as he drew. I loved him now, almost as if he was my own son. As the other toys continued to watch me, they started to realise that I really HAD changed, and that Ryan really loved me and vice versa.

I was helping him fight for his life. My days with Daisy didn't matter. My reign at Sunnyside didn't matter. The dump didn't matter. The truck didn't matter. All the bad things I said and did in the past didn't matter. I forgave and forgot my past, but all that mattered now was that it was just me, Ryan, and a true love between a child and a toy.


	11. Chapter 11

I'll never forget those days in the hospital. Love was making its way into the cracks in my stone heart. It occured to me that I did have a purpose after all: being a source of love and comfort to this very special child, even if he didn't play with me like other children did.

But, alas, my love just wasn't enough.

It was late at night. I was cradled in his arms, and we were both sleeping. I could feel his heartbeat becoming slower...his breathing growing less rhythmic...his skin turning colder...

On that fateful night, Ryan passed away. It was due to loss of blood.

My heart was smashed. I started to think about my abandonment by Daisy...the loss that turned me evil...but this loss was different. I had nothing to do with causing it, and I could do nothing about it. I felt like I was going to turn into my old, bad, self again...

But then I discovered Ryan's last drawing on the bedside table. It was a picture of me.

If toys could shed tears, I would be crying buckets, and I'm sure the other toys on the windowsill would be too, after witnessing all that I had been through. I held the picture tight in my paws.

Ryan DID love me after all.

The funeral was a few days later. Ryan's mother took me to the service, and the daycare kids took the other toys. After the service, us toys were set by his casket in his memory. (along with a lot of crayons)

When all the humans left the room, I climbed up on top of his casket as the other toys watched in wonder. (Mind you, I still had my cane with me)

I took a deep breath. "Ryan, it breaks my heart to see you like this. You were taken away from us when you didn't do anything wrong. We are all depressed to see that you are gone. But you WILL be remembered. You will be remembered for your joyful spirit, your love for crayons, and your beautiful drawings, but most of all, you will be remembered through me. Ryan, you have changed me. You taught me that love is strong, and does exist between toys and owners, even if not shown directly. Because if it wasn't for you, I would still be pure evil. So thank you, Ryan. Thank you."

Then I took my cane. I held it high above my head. And, using all my strength, I broke it in half, tossing the pieces to the floor.

I turned and faced the other toys, who were still watching in awe.

"I'm ready to try again."

Suddenly, we all froze as Ryan's mother entered. She picked me up and hugged me tight.

"My son is gone..." she said, her voice breaking. "But you were his best friend, and at least I still have you."

Then she held me at arms length, and started to look at me more closely. I was quite confused. But then she looked at the tag sewn on my backside, the one that I never could see up close. (Because, let's face it, it's hard to see something that's on your back) She loudly gasped, and looked me in the eyes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm glad I have you back!"

'Wait, what?' I thought, but then I looked at her eyes more closely...I saw those eyes before...Then it hit me. It hit me hard. Why didn't I notice it eariler?

Ryan's mother was my dearly beloved Daisy all along.

And, even though I had never seen it before, she had written "Daisy" on the underside of my tag. And in that moment I realized that she really did love me all this time. And that love was sent in the form of a young and autistic boy named Ryan.

Back at Sunnyside, the children created a memorial deticated to Ryan out on the playground, filled with flowers, sunshine, and lots and lots of crayons.

Ryan's moth...oh, I mean Daisy, brought me back to the daycare...to stay. The toys gave me another chance, as long as I stayed with the "cool and groovy" mentality. And stayed with it I did! I now sport a rainbow-colored bandana around my neck and carry, not a cane, but a staff made from a tinkertoy stick and connector. The toys now think of me as their "unoffical king," but, to me, I'm no king. I'm just a simple, strawberry-scented, Lots O' Huggin' Bear who just needs a little love. I'm a bear who took the long way home. And the journey was great.

Oh, and about Daisy and I...

She secretly takes me home on the weekends. And if you walk by her house, you might just catch the two of us laying on the front lawn on a hot summer night, looking up at the stars, and wondering what, or who, just might be out there.

**THE END**


End file.
